A 1st in years: No Vic Sotto movie in MMFF

VIC Sotto

In light of the new Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) selection process, which now requires producers to submit completed movies at an earlier date, actor Vic Sotto, whose family-oriented flicks have become staples in the annual showcase, said he would not be able to churn out an entry this year.

“If it is final that the deadline is in September, then we should already be shooting now to make it,” he said at a press conference for his new weekly sitcom on GMA 7, “Hay, Bahay,” which starts airing on June 19. “The situation is quite tricky,” he added. “I do not know if there will be an extension, to be more realistic. It is hard to make a movie … We need at least four, five months.”

Vic feels that the modification of the selection rules, which previously relied only on scripts as basis for selection, was done in a rush. “It seemed like the committee was in a hurry to arrive at a decision. I hope that it was discussed better and more thoroughly,” he told the Inquirer.

“Did they want to make sure that the new rules are already in place before the next administration takes over?” he wondered.

The Kapuso star nonetheless expressed solidarity with colleagues in the film industry who ran into issues with the MMMF, particularly director Erik Matti, whose entry “Honor Thy Father” sparked controversy last year, after it was disqualified from competing in the best picture category, because it had already been screened at an earlier film festival.

“It was the judging, disqualification incident that elicited complaints and issues, and that is what they should be addressing—not the selection procedure,” Vic said. “But what they did was they overhauled the festival.”

The veteran actor and television host likewise pointed out that the purpose of the festival should be defined more clearly: Is it a fundraising initiative for local film groups or a local counterpart of the Berlin or Cannes film festivals?

“From what I know, one of the festival’s main goals is to raise money for the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation and other industry groups. In that case, good box-office returns are important.”